The Fourth sunday of Advent
Sunday, December 20, at 10:00 am | The Holy Eucharist, Rite II
Livestreamed on Facebook (click and open the ‘Live’ video)
The order of this service can also be found in The Book of Common Prayer, page 355. Spoken responses are in bold typeface.
To give to St. Paul’s, select an option below:
Online: E-Giving (Realm) | PayPal
Text: message 73256 with the phrase saintpauls $X (insert an amount in place of X)
Check: mail your offering to St. Paul’s Church, 84 E Oakland Ave, Doylestown, PA 18901
Welcome from the Rector
Prelude: “Improvisation on ‘Veni Emmanuel’” W. Edward McCall
The Entrance Rite
Hymn 54 (vv. 1,3,4): “Savior of the nations, come!”
1. Savior of the nations, come!
Virgin’s Son, make here your home.
Marvel now, both heaven and earth,
that the Lord chose such a birth.
3. Thus on earth the Word appears,
gracing his created spheres;
hence to death and hell descends,
then the heavenly throne ascends.
4. Come, O Father’s saving Son,
who o’er sin the victory won.
Boundless shall your kingdom be;
grant that we its glories see.
Opening Acclamation and the Collect for Purity
Priest ✠ Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins.
People His mercy endures for ever.
Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Trisagion: “Holy God, Holy and Mighty”
Salutation & The Collect of the Day
Priest The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Priest Let us pray.
Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Liturgy of the Word
First Reading: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
When the king was settled in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, “See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.” Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that you have in mind; for the Lord is with you.”
But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the Lord: Are you the one to build me a house to live in? I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever.
Reader The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26
The Psalm is sung by a cantor
1 Your love, O Lord, for ever will I sing; *
from age to age my mouth will proclaim your faithfulness.
2 For I am persuaded that your love is established for ever; *
you have set your faithfulness firmly in the heavens.
3 “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; *
I have sworn an oath to David my servant:
4 ‘I will establish your line for ever, *
and preserve your throne for all generations.’”
19 You spoke once in a vision and said to your faithful people: *
“I have set the crown upon a warrior
and have exalted one chosen out of the people.
20 I have found David my servant; *
with my holy oil have I anointed him.
21 My hand will hold him fast *
and my arm will make him strong.
22 No enemy shall deceive him, *
nor any wicked man bring him down.
23 I will crush his foes before him *
and strike down those who hate him.
24 My faithfulness and love shall be with him, *
and he shall be victorious through my Name.
25 I shall make his dominion extend *
from the Great Sea to the River.
26 He will say to me, ‘You are my Father, *
my God, and the rock of my salvation.’
Second Reading: Romans 16:25-27
Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! Amen.
Reader The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
The Gospel: Luke 1:26-38
Deacon The ✠ Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to Luke.
People Glory to you, Lord Christ.
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
Deacon The Gospel of the Lord.
People Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Sermon
The Nicene Creed Said in unison
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
✠ and the life of the world to come. Amen.
The Prayers of the People
Deacon With all our heart and with all our mind, let us pray to the Lord, saying, “Lord, have mercy.”
For the peace from above, for the loving-kindness of God, and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the peace of the world, for the welfare of the holy Church of God, and for the unity of all peoples, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For our Bishop, and for all the clergy and people, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the President of this nation, for the leaders of all the nations, and for all in authority, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For this community, for every city and community, and for those who live in them, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the good earth which God has given us, and for the wisdom and will to conserve it, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the aged and infirm, for the widowed and orphans, and for the sick and the suffering, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For those who are on our prayer list, especially ___ , and for those who have commended themselves to our prayers, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For our sister church of St. Mary’s, Sololá, and for the churches and provinces throughout the Anglican Communion, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the poor and the oppressed, for the unemployed and the destitute, for prisoners and captives, and for all who remember and care for them, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For all who have died in the hope of the resurrection, ✠ and for all the departed, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For deliverance from all danger, violence, oppression, and degradation, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
That we may end our lives in faith and hope, without suffering and without reproach, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
In the communion of the ever-blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, blessed Paul the Apostle, and of all the saints, let us commend ourselves, and one another, and all our life, to Christ our God.
To you, O Lord our God.
Silence
Priest Hasten, O Father, the coming of your kingdom; and grant that we your servants, who now live by faith, may with joy behold your Son at his coming in glorious majesty; even Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.
Confession of Sin
Deacon Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
Silence
Clergy and People
Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.
The Priest, stands and says
Almighty God have mercy on you, ✠ forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.
The Peace
Priest The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People And also with you.
The Holy Communion
An anthem is sung as the Altar is prepared with the elements of Holy Communion.
To give an offering, select an option below:
Online: E-Giving (Realm) | PayPal
Text: message 73256 with the phrase saintpauls $X (insert an amount in place of X)
Check: mail your offering to St. Paul’s Church, 84 E Oakland Ave, Doylestown, PA 18901
Offertory Anthem: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” Arr. Allan Robert Petker
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear,
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel,
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, thou wisdom from on high,
and order all things far and nigh.
To us the path of knowledge show,
and cause us in her ways to go.
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel,
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
The Great Thanksgiving: Eucharistic Prayer B
The Priest faces the People and says
The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Priest Lift up your hearts.
People We lift them to the Lord.
Priest Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People It is right to give him thanks and praise.
Then, facing the Holy Table, the Priest continues
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. Because you sent your beloved Son to redeem us from sin and death, and to make us heirs in him of everlasting life; that when he shall come again in power and great triumph to judge the world, we may without shame or fear rejoice to behold his appearing. Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:
Sanctus: “Holy, holy, holy Lord”
The People may stand or kneel. The Priest continues
We give thanks to you, O God, for the goodness and love which you have made known to us in creation; in the calling of Israel to be your people; in your Word spoken through the prophets; and above all in the Word made flesh, Jesus, your Son. For in these last days you sent him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the Savior and Redeemer of the world. In him, you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand before you. In him, you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life.
On the night before he died for us, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.” After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, “Drink this, all of you: This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.”
Therefore, according to his command, O Father,
Priest and People
We remember his death,
We proclaim his resurrection,
We await his coming in glory;
The Priest continues
And we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, O Lord of all; presenting to you, from your creation, this bread and this wine.
We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts that they may be the Sacrament of the Body of Christ and his Blood of the new Covenant. Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we may be acceptable through him, being ✠ sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In the fullness of time, put all things in subjection under your Christ, and bring us to that heavenly country where, with the ever-blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, blessed Paul the Apostle, and all your saints, we may enter the everlasting heritage of your sons and daughters; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation, the head of the Church, and the author of our salvation.
By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. Amen.
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
People and Priest
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
The Breaking of the Bread
The Priest breaks the consecrated Bread. A period of silence is kept.
Priest Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
People Therefore let us keep the feast.
Fraction Anthem: Lamb of God
Facing the People, the Priest says
The Gifts of God for the People of God.
Spiritual Communion: Act of Reception
This prayer form is for those who desire to receive the Sacrament but are unable to do so, with the assurance that all the benefits of Communion are received, even though the Sacrament is not received with the mouth.
In union, blessed Jesus, with the faithful gathered at every altar of your Church where your blessed Body and Blood are offered this day, I long to offer you praise and thanksgiving, for creation and all the blessings of this life, for the redemption won for us by your life, death, and resurrection, for the means of grace and the hope of glory.
I believe that you are truly present in the Holy Sacrament, and, since I cannot at this time receive communion, I pray you to come into my heart. I unite myself with you and embrace you with all my heart, my soul, and my mind. Let nothing separate me from you; let me serve you in this life until, by your grace, I come to your glorious kingdom and unending peace. Amen.
Come Lord Jesus, and dwell in my heart in the fullness of your strength; be my wisdom and guide me in right pathways; conform my life and actions to the image of your holiness; and, in the power of your gracious might, rule over every hostile power that threatens or disturbs the growth of your kingdom, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
Hymn 265 (vv. 1,2,3): “The angel Gabriel from heaven came”
1. The angel Gabriel from heaven came,
his wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;
“All hail,” said he, “thou lowly maiden Mary,
most highly favored lady,” Gloria!
2. “For know a blessed Mother thou shalt be,
all generations laud and honor thee,
thy Son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold,
most highly favored lady,” Gloria!
3. Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head,
“To me be as it pleaseth God,” she said,
“my soul shall laud and magnify his holy Name.”
Most highly favored lady, Gloria!
Postcommunion Prayer
Priest Let us pray.
The People may join in saying this prayer
Almighty and everliving God, we thank you for feeding us with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; and for assuring us in these holy mysteries that we are living members of the Body of your Son, and heirs of your eternal kingdom. And now, Father, send us out to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord. To him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
Announcements
The Blessing & Dismissal
The Priest gives the blessing.
The Deacon dismisses the people, who respond Thanks be to God.
Postlude: “Let all mortal flesh keep silence” Thomas Bliss
Service Participants
Celebrant & Preacher: The Rev. Daniel T. Moore
Deacon: The Rev. Matthew D. Simpson
Eucharistic Minister: John Black
Acolyte: Kirsten Lowell
Organist: Ed McCall
Cantor: Jim Shute
Lectors: Myra Parker, Chuck Gill
Altar: Jacky Grande
A/V: Emery Kohut, Liam Kelly
Choir: George Achilles, Trudie Benton, Wendy Brumbaugh, Phil Castrodale, Jill Dulany, Muriel Hastings, Sally Haulman, Nick Lindberg, Laura Pankoe, Shelley Reed, Mike Roberts, Sue Roberts, Anne Shute, Jim Shute, Caitlin Stein, David Taylor, Deborah Taylor, Marian Wentworth
Online giving is available through Realm E-Giving and PayPal. We thank you for your generous giving to St. Paul’s.
VIRTUAL COFFEE HOUR
Join us after mass for fellowship via Zoom by clicking here.
Pledging to St. Paul’s
Our pledge campaign continues. Presently, 98 people / households have made a financial pledge to St. Paul's for 2021, putting us 99% of the way toward our goal of $290,000 in pledged giving for next year.
We invite you to prayerfully consider making a pledge to St. Paul’s, and a pledge of your time and talents. You can easily pledge online through our website by clicking here.
Church Directory
We have produced an updated church directory for parishioners to keep in touch with one another by phone and email. Keep your fellow parishioners in your prayers, and check in on them from time to time. To view or download the directory, check the Weekly E-Notes email sent on Friday, December 18.
Christmas Music and Flowers: Memorials & Thanksgivings
Last call for submitting a memorial and/or thanksgiving offering for Christmas music and flowers, along with the names of those you wish to be remembered. The deadline for submissions is today, December 20. You can submit names through our website using the buttons below:
Passages: Monthly Newsletter
The December issue of our parish newsletter, Passages, is now available for view.
Click here to read the December issue of Passages.
Thank You: Seamen's Church Institute Donations
Thank you to everyone that contributed recently to The Seamen's Church Institute. The crews on the cargo ships are working under grim circumstances this year due to the precautions for Covid-19 preventing them from going ashore in most ports. As a result, hundreds of thousands of seafarers are at sea months beyond the end of their contract, with no hope of shopping for their own personal needs at the local ports. Thank you again for your very generous help in providing them with these items and helping to make their holiday brighter.
Weekly Food Donations
Thank you for your loyal weekly food donations. Until now, these donations have been stocking the New Britain Food Larder. However, they have closed temporarily due to Covid (They have a dedicated core of elderly volunteers). For now, we request that you continue to donate food that can be used for Caring For Friends meals and/or Code Blue. Our greatest need is large cans of fruit. Speaking of CFF, 138 meals were packaged in November and 29 additional meals were prepared at home after Thanksgiving meals. Thanks for sharing your bounty with the food insecure.
Myra Parker, Mary Smith, George Wiemann
Compline on Thursdays in December
The Brotherhood of St. Andrew invites all parishioners to join with us for Zoom Compline on Thursday nights during December at 9:00 pm. Compline will take place on Dec. 31. Please see the weekly email for login credentials.
2021 Episcopal Church Ordo Calendars Available
Our 2021 Ordo Calendars have arrived. Please contact the office if you would like one.
Available Flower Memorial & Thanksgiving Dates for 2021
Thank you to all parishioners who have supported our ministry through their flower memorials and thanksgivings and a special thank you to the members of this guild for their time and efforts. Without everyone’s participation the church would not be blessed with our ever changing floral displays to liven up the church! In 2021 we have the following open dates for flower memorials and thanksgivings: January 10, April 25, July 25, August 22, September 19, and October 17.
The Flower Guild welcomes anyone interested in being a part of this ministry. You are welcome to observe any current member arrange flowers for Sunday. Please talk to any current member to find out what it’s all about. For questions, please use the church directory to contact me.
Lisa Farina, Head of the Flower Guild